Looking for information on MAPC’s official meetings and legal notices? Find it here.
COVID-19-related unemployment could cause a massive housing crisis in Massachusetts. 468,000 Massachusetts residents filed unemployment claims in the first three weeks of the COVID crisis.
Who has been laid off? How many are now at risk of eviction or foreclosure? Will CARES Act assistance help? What about those who don’t qualify for federal aid? Join MAPC staff for a virtual discussion of our research brief, “The COVID-19 Layoff Housing Gap.”
On April 21, MAPC is releasing an update to “The COVID-19 Layoff Housing Gap” with the latest unemployment data.
At this webinar on April 22, MAPC Data Services Director Tim Reardon and Socioeconomic Analyst II Sarah Philbrick will discuss the updated data–and what it means for workers, municipalities, and the Commonwealth.
Join MAPC to hear from housing organizations, the Department of Housing & Community Development, and Boston and other municipalities on how to respond to residents at risk of eviction or other destabilizing forces during the pandemic.
We’ll learn about the anticipated impacts of expiring eviction moratoria, an overview of the Governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative, and tenant rights and responsibilities. A panel will then discuss tools available to help residents stay in their homes, how to implement them, and what localities are doing to support residents experiencing housing instability during these unprecedented times.
Speakers will include:
Tim Reardon, Director of Data Services, MAPC
Chris Kluchman, Deputy Director, Community Services Division, DHCD
Tom Ambrosino, City Manager, City of Chelsea
Domonique Williams, Deputy Director, Office of Housing Stability, City of Boston
Chris Cotter, Housing Director, City of Cambridge
Keith Benoit, Community Development Planner, City of Northampton
Melrose, Malden, and Medford worked with the MAPC to collaboratively develop sustainable and resilient building design guidelines for residential and mixed-use developments and retrofits. These voluntary guidelines will help these communities encourage developers to build more more affordable housing that is energy-efficient and climate-resilient.
Join us for an interactive webinar on April 26 at 12:00 p.m. to learn about the guidelines and hear from the communities about how they plan to use them to shape green, affordable development.
Launched by the Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the Neighborhood Emergency Housing Support Program provided funding to community-based organizations (CBOs) with cultural and linguistic competency to outreach to residents about available housing stability resources. Additional funding support for the program was provided by The Boston Foundation (TBF) and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
MAPC analyzed the effectiveness of emergency rental relief and the role CBOs play in making residents aware of resources.
Attend this webinar to hear from CHAPA, TBF, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, MAPC, and CBO representatives about this program and recommendations forward.
Register here!
The Town of Belmont MBTA Communities Advisory Committee invites you to a hybrid public forum to get your input on the future of multifamily housing in Belmont.
Whether you will be joining us in person at the Beech Street Center or virtually via Zoom, please register through this page so we know how many people to expect.
What to Expect at the Forum:
Members of the Advisory Committee, staff from the Town of Belmont, and planners from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council will present information about how Belmont is planning to comply with the Multifamily Zoning Requirement for MBTA Communities law (often called “Section 3A”). They will also ask for your ideas on where you think that multifamily housing should go in Belmont and what it should look like.
In-Person Location:
Beech Street Center, 266 Beech Street, Belmont On-site parking is available, and the Center is 0.3 miles from the intersection of Trapelo Road and Beech Street on MBTA Bus Route 73. Registration is not required to attend in person, though it is preferred.
Zoom Option:
Everyone who registers will receive a link to the Zoom meeting, even if you plan to attend in person.
We invite you to join the MetroWest Collaborative at MAPC for our annual trails forum. Our host this year is the City of Framingham. The forum will provide an update of regional trail accomplishments and share progress in Framingham for linking the downtown, Farm Pond, Cushing Park and other City destinations with a connected trail network.
The event includes breakfast, a welcome by Mayor Sisitsky, several presentations, and a walking tour of trail projects adjacent.
Specific milestones to be celebrated this year:
- The City recently completed the purchase of the CSX right-of-way to extend the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail into Framingham
- Purchase agreement for ~50 acres of conservation land on the Framingham/Sherborn line that will provide key trail connections
- The East Coast Greenway has relocated their route in 2023 to pass through Framingham
Optional afternoon walking tours look at two additional locations in Framingham where we are looking to create a continuous shared use path between the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the Upper Charles Trail
Agenda:
8:15 a.m. – Breakfast and mingling
9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Introductions
9:15 a.m. – Metrowest Greenway status report from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council
10:00 a.m. – Framingham Trails Focus
11:00 a.m. – Walking Tour of current and proposed trail projects (about 2 miles long adjacent to Cushing Park). The tour will include the following projects or trails:
- Sudbury Aqueduct
- Chris Walsh Trail
- Framingham Station Access
- Development projects and trail potential
12:30 p.m. – Formal event ends with additional optional walking tours after lunch
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch Break for those continuing the afternoon tours
Afternoon Walking Tours:
Walking Tour #1 at 1:30 p.m. – South Framingham to Sherborn (Meet at Bates Park on Bates Road)
Walking Tour #2 at 3:00 p.m. – Bruce Freeman across Route 9 to Framingham State University (Meet at Oak St in front of Village Hall)
Please join us for this webinar to learn more about a new MAPC Section 3A decision-making support tool!
Background
In 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature added a new section to the state’s Zoning Act (MGL Chapter 40A) — MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement (Section 3A) — that requires each municipality in the MBTA district to zone for by-right multifamily housing near transit stations or smart growth locations.
MAPC has developed an interactive MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement (Section 3A) District Suitability Analysis Tool to help municipalities within the MAPC region identify locations for 3A zoning districts that also advance regional and local goals.
This Webinar
MAPC staff will provide an overview of the tool’s use and showcase how it may be applied, in tandem with stakeholder-driven processes, to facilitate conversations around areas suitable for new housing production.
Register to join us for this event
Questions? Please contact:
Emma Battaglia (ebattaglia@mapc.org)